you put your arms around me
by starsandabutterfly
Summary: Team family protects each other in the aftermath of Negan's attack. Glenn's POV, gleggie-centric. 2 parts.
1. Chapter 1

This is a completed two-part fic, and I'll be posting the next part tomorrow. I also have a little coda that I'll post later this week.

I can't emphasize this enough: there are absolutely no spoilers in this fic. I've avoided spoilers, including trailers/promos, since the season 6 finale aired, so I know absolutely nothing. And if any of this actually happens, I'll be pretty surprised. So feel free to read this whether or not you've been paying attention to trailers, promos, spoilers, etc. Just please don't spoil me in the comments section, cause that'd be pretty bad.

Title comes from Christina Perri's "arms"

* * *

Despite the cacophony of noise in the wooded area – Negan's men cheering, his family crying, and the sickening thump of Lucille against what was left of Abraham's head – Glenn could somehow hear Maggie's muffled, pained whimpers over everything else.

The sound of his wife hurting jabbed him like a knife, each individual sob enough to make him want to run to her, grab her, and make a run for it. Looking at her didn't help quell this instinct either: her arms were wrapped tightly around her stomach and she was almost completely hunched over on her knees. Glenn dreaded what Negan might do if she fell over.

But the idea of running for it was laughable: even if they did manage to evade Negan, his men, and whatever other traps could be lurking in the woods, where the fuck would they even go? Home? The Hilltop? Wherever they went, whether they escaped or were set free, Negan and his group would come after them eventually.

But that "eventually" didn't sound half bad given their current circumstances.

He would have taken any respite from what he and his family were doing right now, watching Abraham being beaten to death right in front of their faces.

Not that anyone was _watching,_ truthfully. Most of their eyes were cast downward, although a few of them were staring defiantly at Negan's manic face. Nobody could bear to look at what he was doing. Glenn couldn't help catching a bit of the gruesome act in his periphery; he would have looked away if he wasn't so terrified that Negan would turn his bat towards Maggie next.

No. He had to keep watching, just in case. He wanted to shut down, but if there was any way of getting out of this with the rest of his family safe, he was going to be ready.

It seemed like hours later when Negan stopped hitting, admired his work for a long moment, and then slowly began pacing the length of their group again, pausing by each person just to savor their reaction. The second the bastard turned his back, Michonne scooted over to Maggie, taking advantage of the space left when Negan had dragged Abraham forward. Glenn watched as she felt her forehead, frowned, and then bent to look closely at Maggie's jeans, swiftly pressing her hands around her inner thighs.

 _She's checking for blood,_ Glenn realized.

Scared for a moment that one of Negan's men would notice and call them out, Glenn breathed in relief when he saw they were all too captivated by whatever the hell their leader was saying to pay them any mind.

He was taunting Eugene now. If Glenn could just get to Maggie just as quietly as Michonne had – he started to get up before a hand darted out, stopping him. "Don't." He looked away from his wife for a moment, ashamed that he'd forgotten Rosita was next to him. God, he was so focused on Maggie and here she'd just lost – "He'll kill you both if you go over there now. He wanted to before. He'll do it if you give him a reason," she said so quietly Glenn had to lean in to hear her.

"But –"

"Michonne's got her. There's nothing you can do for her right now that Michonne can't."

He had to agree with that. He wasn't sure either he or Michonne could do very much at all, but it certainly made him feel better to watch Michonne try. Now she had her arm around Maggie, was whispering something in her ear, and their hands were tightly intertwined.

Negan had turned around and was walking back towards his end of the line now: he paused for one chilling moment by Maggie and Michonne but seemed only slightly amused by the sight of the two women much closer than when he'd last passed them.

He kept talking, and Glenn absently hoped that someone was present enough to take note of what the asshole was actually saying. Normally he'd count on Rick or Daryl in a situation like this, but from what he could tell, Rick seemed barely aware of what was happening, he was so devastated, and Daryl was nearly as pale as Maggie.

Carl and Aaron seemed to be the only two tracking Negan, their eyes following him as he went back and forth; hopefully their ears were just as focused. Eugene was crying, but Glenn didn't blame him. Negan had spent a longer time goading him just now than anyone else, perhaps having sensed how close he and Abraham had been. Sasha was completely shut down, not unlike how she was after Tyreese had died. Rosita seemed more concerned with what Glenn might do, probably a good call, since Negan had warned them before that he wouldn't tolerate a second outburst from Glenn.

Negan completed another lap, still riding whatever sick high he got off murdering Abraham and having the rest of them at his mercy. As soon as she was out of Negan's line of sight, Maggie looked desperately at Glenn. It was the first time she'd looked at him since he was first tossed out of the van. So either Maggie had been too sick before to spare the strength required to look at him, or she'd been too afraid.

He suspected it was the latter – she usually was smarter than him in times like these – but he still hated Negan either way.

Fucking hell. Before he could think better of it, Glenn mouthed, "You okay?" at her, just desperate to keep this small contact they'd managed.

He got back a silent but distinct, "Hurts" before she tucked her head against Michonne's shoulder, seeming to ride out another wave of pain.

When she looked at him again, he was definitely sloppier – he cared less that she knew exactly what he was saying but he hoped she got the sentiment, "I love you, it'll be okay –"

He registered Rosita's sharp elbow jabbing his arm at the same moment that he realized Negan had turned around a few moments earlier. Whether either would've been enough to keep him from trying to comfort Maggie, he wasn't sure. It was too late to care, judging by Negan's slow-spreading grin.

"Well. What do we have here? Two Chatty-Cathy's. Let me guess, you two were the ones in school who always got detention for passin' notes, right? Never quite understood your type, I always wondered just what was so important that it was worth the punishment…" he trailed off as he lifted his bat again, now covered in Abraham's blood.

Glenn froze. Before he could think of a comeback, a plea, a bargain, an escape plan, anything –

"Don't."

It was Rick. Looking at Negan for the first time since the bat had swung, Rick had sat up straight. He had recovered some of his former self, at least for the moment. He put his arm in front of Maggie, sending a message. _You won't fuck with us anymore tonight._

"They're the two best fighters we've got. You kill them, I'm not sure how long Alexandria would survive. All of this would've been for nothing. You don't want that, do you?"

Enjoying himself far too much to give in easily, Negan replied, "Aw, now don't just outright lie to me like that. That girl's no fighter, she's practically on death's door, ain't that right, darling?" He stepped closer to Maggie, looking greedily at her sweat-soaked face. Negan's move blocked her from Glenn's sight, he nearly panicked. But Rosita clutched his wrist, bringing him back down to earth. Her eyes met his, and they said: Wait. Trust Rick.

But it was Aaron who spoke next, in a voice steadier than Glenn would've thought possible, "Please. If we could just take her to see a doctor, we would be very grateful."

Glenn suddenly remembered meeting Aaron for the first time. _Bad people pointed guns in my face every other week._ God, he was grateful Rick didn't shoot Aaron that day.

Negan began pacing again, seem to weigh his options for a moment, but Glenn knew it was just a ruse. He wasn't a mind reader, he didn't know what this psychopath had decided to do, but he had already made a decision. Hell, he probably already knew which members of their group were living so he could torture them another day and which were dying half a minute after he stepped out of the RV.

This was all so pointless.

"Alright. Maybe I'm feelin' nice tonight. Maybe I'm so charmed by Romeo and Juliet here" pointing at Glenn and Maggie, "that I'll let you all leave tonight only one Montague down" pointing at Abraham's corpse, then laughed at his wit. "Yeah. Yeah, I reckon I will let you all leave here, and hey! I'll even let ya take back your ride. Though I would've liked to see you lot try and all pile into one of these Sedans, that'd have been a sight. But make no mistake, I do want that RV back next time I'm in the neighborhood, that's just too good to let go." He acted as though he was doing them a huge favor, letting them leave in a vehicle that belonged to them.

After a moment, Aaron spoke again, "Thank you. We appreciate your generosity."

"And you'll remember it too, won't you?" Negan stated more than asked, a predatory gleam in his eyes. This was only just beginning.

"Oh yeah," Rick said hoarsely. "We'll remember everything." His eyes drifted towards Abraham's mangled body.

Seeing Negan's warning as a dismissal, Eugene and Carl simultaneously started to stand, but they sank back down when Negan laughed. "Ah-ah-ah, little eager there, aren't we? No. Apparently, I wasn't makin' myself clear earlier. I decide _everything_ you do from now on. I'm in control. We're gonna do this slowly, and one-by-one in case any of you get any stupid ideas.

"You first."

He'd walked back to Maggie, and now everyone in the clearing was looking at the bat pointed right at her knees.

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Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for the next chapter tomorrow. Feel free to leave feedback here and/or prompt me at my tumblr, username is rosy-doze


	2. Chapter 2

Here's the second part, enjoy!

* * *

In the brief moments that Glenn had been focused on Negan, his wife's condition seemed to have deteriorated even more. He thought it was now impossible for her to get any worse and still be conscious. And Negan expected her to get up and walk to the RV, nearly thirty feet away, unaided? She couldn't even sit up without Michonne's help.

 _She could die tonight,_ the thought ran through him like ice water in his veins. The shock of this thought delayed his reaction to Negan's absurd demand, which likely would've been similar to Rick's growl, "No."

Negan turned slowly towards Rick, then asked, "Excuse me?"

Aaron picked up from there, "She needs a doctor. We aren't sure what's wrong with her, but she won't be able to reach the RV without help."

Negan's eyes narrowed and his grip on his bat tightened. Distracted as he was by Maggie's ever-fading appearance, even Glenn could recognize that Aaron was pushing him too far. And if Aaron's calm, practical negotiating style couldn't convince Negan, then nothing could.

"Hm," he pretended to think. "You're sayin' she can't walk by herself? Well, I hate to say it, but I agree with ya there. You've really got that whole "damsel-in-distress" thing down, Juliet, if you don't mind me saying," he knelt down to Maggie's level, grabbing her chin with a hand. This time, Glenn expected Rosita's warning, he shifted forward despite her hand reaching for his wrist, then yelled, "Don't touch her!"

Negan ignored him, saying, "Now, I've got an idea!" Negan turned back to the group and let Maggie go, "I've got a whole army of men back there who'd just _kill_ to help out a sweet little lady like her out. Yeah, how's that sound to you, Romeo?"

When Negan looked at him, all he thought was that he wished it was possible to kill someone just through eye contact.

"No!" He and Maggie shouted at the same time. Whether Maggie was reacting to Negan's threat against her or the way was looking at Negan, Glenn wasn't sure. And he wouldn't figure it out anytime soon, because before he could react to his wife's first audible words since the bat had swung, Maggie started to stand.

He wanted to admire her strength, both mental and physical. He wanted to cheer for how she never backed down from a challenge. But all Glenn could think about was how _she_ _shouldn't have to be doing this._ How a human being shouldn't subject others to this kind of torture, just for their own amusement.

Glenn had known how strong Maggie was for ages, for fuck's sake he'd met her when she rode in on a horse and took a bat to a walker's head. Rick wasn't lying earlier, or even stretching the truth to get them out of a sticky situation. Maggie was the strongest fighter in their group. Negan couldn't see it, but everyone who really knew her could. Of course she could do this, even if only by the skin of her teeth and sheer determination, but –

 _Why the fuck was he making her?_

He couldn't keep looking at his struggling wife without doing something. But he knew that doing something would get them all killed. So he looked away, hating himself for it while knowing it was the only way of possibly getting Maggie out of this alive.

 _Rick and Michonne won't let her fall. They're still right next to her and they won't let her fall,_ he repeated that small assurance in his head again and again, knowing that it was true.

Glenn hadn't seen Negan surprised once during this unsavory introduction, and he doubted he ever would again. But if he wasn't so worried that Maggie would pass out or furious at the man for making her, Glenn would have paused to treasure the moment of complete shock on Negan's face at the sight of Maggie slowly and shakily getting up.

Negan recovered in the blink of an eye, and then he looked as happy as he'd been when he was bashing Abraham's skull in. "See!" He shouted to both his prisoners and his followers, "Now that's what I'm talkin' about! Complete obedience! Ha, all I had to do was threaten her with your help, Max" he pointed at a random man in the shadows, "and she was like putty in my hands. Eh, and she's still just as stable as putty over there. Alright, we've had our fun. Romeo, get in there buddy, your girl's earned it." He gestured to Glenn, indifferently waving him over to Maggie.

Not taking the time to question Negan's abrupt mood change, Glenn sprung up from his knees and ran over to Maggie faster than he was sure he'd been in his life.

He couldn't help but savor the feeling of his wife finally in his arms after everything they'd been through that night, holding her close for a long moment. Maggie instantly returned his hug, but while his grip slackened just a little bit after the moment ended, hers only grew stronger.

It was a chilling realization that shouldn't have shocked him as much as it did: she couldn't let go of him without falling.

When he did realize exactly how weak his wife's act of defiance had left her, Glenn tightened his hold again, whispering in her ear, "It's okay. I've got you," so that she knew she didn't have to waste any more energy holding on to him. She'd gotten them this far, he'd take over for now.

Negan, who had gone over to stand in the space he'd cleared next to Rosita, spoke up and demanded, "Alright. Now to the RV. Don't try anything stupid, remember, we've still got your weapons and the keys."

As if Glenn would try anything in that moment besides getting his wife safely into that RV. He still looked back at the group, though, doubting Negan's sudden generosity. What if they got into the RV and then Negan did something terrible to his family still in the woods? Who was to say he would let them all go?

He caught Daryl's eye – the man had been bleeding out for hours and he needed a doctor just as much as Maggie – but Daryl just gave him the slightest nod, and then looked pointedly at Maggie, his message clear.

"Glenn?" Maggie lifted her head up and looked at him questioningly.

"Yeah," he whispered, "Yeah, we're going."

He supported Maggie with his arm around her waist and hers around his shoulders, but it still wasn't enough. Maggie cringed at the movement walking created, even though he was going as slowly as possible.

Knowing that Negan would get bored of being nice quickly, Glenn saw he only had one option. He hadn't wanted to earlier because he'd known from previous joking attempts that he wasn't quite strong enough to do it smoothly, and he'd wanted to spare her the pain that he _knew_ it was going to cause. He'd never caused her physical pain like he was about to, and even though it was their only option, he hated what he was about to do.

But if he couldn't be smooth (like Rick, or Daryl, or god, _Abraham_ would be) then he would have to be fast.

Not giving her time to question him, he took her other arm and slung it across his chest. As he tightened his hold on her waist, he bent down and lifted her legs with his free arm. He tried to keep her stomach as still as possible, knowing from her hold on it earlier that that was where it hurt the most. Her cries at the sudden jostling masked his first apology so he said again and again, "Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry," until he realized she'd gone quiet.

Maggie had finally passed out. He'd been the one to cause it.

Glenn shifted her just enough so that her head could rest on his chest but kept walking. He barely registered the laughs and catcalls of Negan and his men, and thankfully they reached the RV without any incidents. Negan had left the door cracked which allowed Glenn to hip-check it open without putting Maggie down. He watched her head carefully as he climbed through the door and up the steps. Appreciating the silence the RV offered, he still wished more than anything that Maggie could say something, anything, to him right then.

He couldn't think of a good place to set her down: he couldn't just put her on the floor but he also couldn't push the seats together while he was still holding her. Knowing that he needed to put her down before his arms made the decision for him, he did the first thing that popped into his head. Leaning against the wall of the RV, Glenn slowly sank down against it, controlling their descent to the floor and ending up with Maggie's head and upper torso cushioned in his lap. Doubting his choice, Glenn thought Maggie needed more of a pillow than just his thighs, so he did the only thing that occurred to him: he shrugged off his shirt, balled it up, gently lifted her head, and tucked it underneath her. There. Much better.

In that instant, with no one there but his unconscious wife, and nothing left that he could do for her, Glenn finally broke down. Everything that had happened that day finally hit him: getting ambushed with Daryl, Michonne, and Rosita, seeing how sick Maggie was, and the sheer brutality of Abraham's murder…

No one was invincible, not even the people who acted like it.

And on top of all of that, he wasn't an idiot. He knew what the doctor would probably say if they ever managed to make it there. He knew the baby might be gone.

He tried to calm down. He distracted himself by wondering who would join him and Maggie in the RV next, and how long Negan would draw out this game.

But then his thoughts were interrupted by Maggie: her head moved in his lap, her fingers twitched around his, and her eyes blinked open. She was awake.

 _Fuck, she was so tough,_ for a moment he couldn't help but be shocked by her strength before jumping into action, "Mags, hey, hey, sweetie," he said, looking down at her and uselessly brushing her short hair away from her face. "How are you feeling?"

"Glenn?" she murmured, her eyes hazy.

"Yeah, it's me, honey, we're alone right now, we're in the RV. Are you feeling any better? What hurts? Can I do anything?"

She answered his three questions with one of her own, "Why're we on the floor?"

He took a moment to appreciate how he'd married a woman who would question his thinking in a time like this. Unsure of what to say, he replied, "I - I don't know, you wouldn't have been comfortable in a chair…"

"Bench wouldn't have worked?" Maggie asked, almost conversationally.

She raised her head slightly to look across the RV and – of course. The perfectly cushioned bench that they'd sat on a dozen times, the perfect size for her to lay down comfortably, not five feet away from where they were currently sprawled in a heap on the hard, pillow-less floor.

He felt like an idiot. Why did things always have to go this way? It felt like at every intersection, he took a wrong turn. And he'd felt like that for a while now. Back when he didn't trust Nicholas, the guy tried to kill him. When he did trust Nicholas, the guy still almost got him killed. When he left Maggie in Alexandria, the safe-zone was attacked by the Wolves, then by over a hundred walkers. When he took her with him, she got taken by Negan's people.

And now even when they were together, he was making the wrong calls.

"Yeah. Yeah. Bench would've been better, sorry, I –"

Surprised that she had enough strength left – though why the hell he was questioning her after so long, he wasn't sure – Maggie reached up and brushed a tear away from his cheek. He hadn't realized he was crying.

"It's alright," Maggie said with a soft smile. "Floor's just as good."

Immediately calmed by his wife's reassurance, Glenn sat back against the wall of the RV, entwined his fingers with hers, and waited for whatever came next.

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Thanks for reading! A coda will be posted later this week, so look out for that. Please leave a review before you go, I'd really appreciate it. Tumblr is rosy-doze if you ever have a prompt or just want to chat!


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